krsna

Hey Hey,dear shivaji, /images/graemlins/cool.gif no way ,man /images/graemlins/blush.gif you ain't seein' things right /images/graemlins/confused.gif hari hari /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Vana is enough [re: Guruvani] 07/22/03 12:30 AM Edit Reply That is not a stated requirement for this forum per the propritor. Guests are welcome. Welcome Vana. thanks for signing your post, it makes it easier to correspond. A.E.Newman Theist Diksa guru- none will claim me Siksa guru- Supersoul through everyone and everything especially Prabhupada's books History-perennial fringe,sometimes sahajiya since 1970 and it gets more embarassing every year

uncontrolled mind [re: Guest] 07/30/03 12:32 PM Edit Reply In reply to: -- From your previous post I felt a very strong opposition to the association with sadhus, and some sort of frustration. Otherwise you are very moderate, and careful to avoid harsh tones. -- Yes my mind(under whose spell I present am)is strongly opposed to associating with sadhu's. I do get very frustrated with people denying that sadhu lives in his commentaries, when Srila Prabhupada clearly says otherwise. It is frustrating when you are reading one of Prabhupada's books and someone tells that that won't help you you need REAL sadhu-sanga, infering that Prabhupada is in some dead state. Actually that more than frustrates me it infuriates me. I also get frustrated in conversations where I ask someone a straight forward question which they choose to ignore and instead respond with another copy and post. ...take the essence...SP letter to Krsnadasa 1972

SP is not dead or out of reach [re: Guest] 07/29/03 02:18 PM Edit Reply In reply to: -- "krsna consciousness teachs that is difficult but it is possible to find purity and perfection in some special people living in this world with us... why i read in a gaudya vaishnava sanga like this the continue attempt to minimize the concept of the living spiritual master? " -- You are not reading an attempt to minimize that, although that may be the your mind is translating it as you read. It shows in your use of the term "living" spiritual master. So many people claim they "have" a "living" guru to get siksa from. Of course they only see this person's form when he travels into their area. They may hear a lecture and maybe even get some more direct darshan for a few minutes. Siksa is meant to be constant as well as general. So how do these "living" gurus spread their siksa? Through lecture transcripts over the internet, books, and tapes etc.as well as through their more advanced disciples. The receipients then turn around and preach to others the absolute need to have a "living" guru (meaning his earthly body) to take siksa from. Such an embarrassing contradiction but they never seem to see it. Sometimes we even see them preaching to Srila Prabhupada's disciples that their guru (SP) is now no longer "living" and so their guru(who is "living") must now be accepted in his place. Extremely offensive it appears to me. ...take the essence...SP letter to Krsnadasa 1972

To focus on the death of jesus as the event that saves us all is false doctrine. What saves us is the desire to be free from desires of even the so-called salvation lusted after by the anti-christians. What saves us is to accept the pure life of Lord Jesus Christ. Not the external miracles for the faithless. We dont accept Jesus because he makes water into wine, or heals the sick, or even raises the dead. We accept Lord Jesus Christ simply because He has been empowered to deliver the Love of His Father (He Who has sent Me), and this deliverance is felt outside jurisdiction of assassins. --------- Yes ,this is the essence of real christian dharma The crucifiction was staged for the faithless Real devotees want to meditate on the love and compassion of the Lord rather than blood and gore. The real miracle is not water to wine but non devotee demonic atheist to devotee aspiring for love of God.

Fears as young Muslims 'opt out' Muslim cleric Abu Hamza's sermons prompted a deportation order Navid Akhtar is a practicing Muslim deeply concerned about a growing trend among his contemporaries toward a separatist ideology that turns its back on Britain. He wrote this personal account for Sunday's Five Live Report. Young Muslims are opting out. They've renounced the Islam of their immigrant parents and feel disillusioned with a society that they perceive as racist. Many are turning their backs on democracy and Britain. And they are finding a new identity in a brand of Islam that is radical and intolerant. Out of 1.8 million Muslims living in Britain today, the highest proportion have their roots in Bangladesh and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pure Islam Both these groups came to Britain as economic migrants from rural villages. Settling into Britain has not been an easy experience and many feel excluded from the mainstream. The worst hit are the young, who find themselves at odds with their parents' insular Asian culture and a Britain they believe is hostile towards them. Many young Muslims, confused about their identity, have turned to their faith to provide answers and stumbled upon what they call "pure Islam". Pure Islam is austere, intolerant, harsh, and very heavily influenced by the teachings of the dominant Saudi sect known as the Wahhabis. When the Saudis were flush with money from oil revenues, their government exported the Wahhabi version of Islam. They propagate this violent message to young people who start to believe in this us versus them discourse Fareena Alam Editor of Muslim journal Q News Mosques were financed, books, videos and cassettes supplied, scholars and imams trained at theological universities. Extremist adherents have propagated a message of violent Jihad. Fareena Alam is the editor of British-based Muslim journal Q News. He said: "I know that they are themselves not willing to give up their lives for a greater cause. "If they really believe in fighting the West or fighting in Afghanistan they should go themselves but what they are doing is they step in, pretend to be leaders and they propagate this violent message to young people who start to believe in this us versus them discourse." Pure Islam has claimed the mantle of being the only real Islam as practised at the time of the Prophet Mohammed and his companions. It regards the Islam that came from the Indian subcontinent as corrupted and polluted by "cultural" values such as music. In particular, pure Islam rejects any new developments in Islamic thinking, and refuses to understand that Muslims living in the West face a unique set of challenges. This has led to a split within the British Muslim community, creating a belief amongst many young people that there is no compromise between Islam and life in the West. Privately some within the community acknowledge a failure of leadership. However, moderate Muslims leaders have remained largely silent and have yet to provide a credible alternative. Most mosques in Britain are run along the old tribal lines. The quality of education provided in our mosques has not been very adequate Khurshid Ahmed Chair of Dudley Muslim Association The all powerful Mosque committee retains an iron grip on what is taught, how it is taught and who teaches it. The major failure has been the inability to produce imams and scholars who speak English and understand the issues and problems that the second generation are going through. Chair of the Dudley Muslim Association Khurshid Ahmed told the programme: "I'm quite ashamed to admit that the leadership within the Muslim community, not just in Dudley, but nationally have let our young people down. "The quality of education provided in our mosques has not been very adequate. "We have not been able to connect sufficiently with our young people and that has led them to being a lot more alienated from their own families and from the community. " 'Let down' The failure of elders to connect with young Muslims and the impact the ideology of pure Islam has had run like a generational fault line through the British Muslim community. Without effective leadership and guidance, young Muslims feel marginalised not just by lack of opportunity, or Islamaphobia, but a real sense of being let down by their elders. In such a climate, pure Islam will continue to thrive, attracting young Muslims to a separatist ideology that rejects the values of a modern secular and democratic Britain.

Srimad-Bhagavatam. From the Third Canto Chapter Thirty, TEXT 31: "He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the passage money with which he leaves this world." PURPORT: When a man earns money by unfair means and maintains his family and himself with that money, the money is enjoyed by many members of the family, but he alone goes to hell and suffers the resultant sinful reactions accrued from such a violent and illicit life. For example, if a man secures some money by killing someone and with that money maintains his family, those who enjoy the black money earned by him are also partially responsible and are also sent to hell, but he who is the leader is especially punished. The money he earned is left in this world, and he takes only the sinful reaction. In this world also, if a person acquires some money by murdering someone, the family is not hanged, although its members are sinfully contaminated. But the man who commits the murder and maintains his family is himself hanged as a murderer. The direct offender is more responsible for sinful activities than the indirect enjoyer. The great learned scholar Canakya Pandita says, therefore, that whatever one has in his possession had better be spent for the cause of sat, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because one cannot take his possessions with him. They remain here, and they will be lost. Either we leave the money or the money leaves us, but we will be separated. The best use of money as long as it is within our possession is to spend it to acquire and propagate Krsna consciousness.

"Soul's Constitutional Position" 66/03/28 New York, Bhagavad-gita 2.46-47 Perhaps you know. There is a proverb in English that "Proprietorship turns sand into gold." A person working on his own account, oh, he can turn sand into gold, but a person working for others' account, oh, that is not possible. He will be slow. He will be slow because the purpose is that "Why shall I work so hard? It will be enjoyed..." Just like our business friend was speaking to me that "Why shall we work so hard and make huge profit that...? The whole thing will be taken by the government."

Walk Around Farm August 1, 1975, New Talavana (kirtana in background) Nityananda: Our sugarcane field is down there. [break] Devotee (1): ...all right? Harikesa: Yes. PRABHUPADA: I have seen all that. Devotee (1): This is kirtana. (a child? cow?) PRABHUPADA: Kirtana? (laughter) That's all right. Have kirtana. Nityananda: Yes. PRABHUPADA: That is ours? Nityananda: Yes. Brahmananda: Where the trees are? Nityananda: Way over the hill and back down there is all ours. In this field, we have the calves. And in this field, here we have the big cows. PRABHUPADA: It is not now utilized? Nityananda: Not... No. We are just growing hay. Grass for hay. We can sell the hay in the winter for a good price. PRABHUPADA: It is not possible to walk. [break] ...it is born? Nityananda: This one? Last week. His name is... Her name is Laksmi. There is more over here. [break] Bull calves. We are getting more bulls than females. PRABHUPADA: Why? Nityananda: I don't know. PRABHUPADA: Then how utilize the bulls? Nityananda: To plow? PRABHUPADA: Plow, transport. You have to engage more men for plowing. Two bulls will be required for each plow. Nityananda: We can go this way maybe? See the sugarcane? PRABHUPADA: Yes. Jagadisa: This is not taking this yet? PRABHUPADA: No. Why? Nityananda: We just cut it two days ago, and then it rained. We have to wait for it to dry before you can... PRABHUPADA: They will not be spoiled. Nityananda: Yes, if it stays here too long, it will spoil. PRABHUPADA: And it rains. Devotee (2): We will take it to the garden. PRABHUPADA: Then it will be soil? It will be fertilizer soil? Or no. When it is decomposed? [break] Drinking water? Nityananda: Milk. PRABHUPADA: Milk. (laughter) That is meant for calves? Those milk? Nityananda: Yes. PRABHUPADA: What is this? Nityananda: The barn. PRABHUPADA: No, this part. Nityananda: Oh, that's the door. It fell off. These are orange trees here. PRABHUPADA: Oh. How long it will take to grow? Nityananda: Well, some down here already have a few oranges, but it will take a few years before they give a lot. They are very sweet kind. [break] PRABHUPADA: So small still. They are growing. [break] Nityananda: ...sugarcane here. [break] PRABHUPADA: ...grow very high. [break] ...trees? Nityananda: Pine trees. Brahmananda: You can use those for making the cabins, cottages? Nityananda: Yes. [break] PRABHUPADA: ...natural arrangement. Jungles-you cut the tree, make your home, and balance you make fuel. And the ground, plow and grow your food. That's all, natural. Jagadisa: Everything. PRABHUPADA: In India still, in the villages they do not know, other than this wood fuel, anything else. They are misusing these trees by cutting, manufacturing paper, heaps of paper, in each house throwing daily. They do not read, but they are supplied heaps of paper and cutting these trees. Simply waste. Now wood and paper shortage all over the world. It takes so much time to grow, and one day they cut hundreds of trees like this and put into the paper mill. And heaps of paper is given every house, and he throws away. Then you bring garbage tank. In this way, waste. Nityananda: There are some beehives down here behind this building. I have twelve, and every year we can get hundreds of pounds of honey. Honey is very nice because it does not spoil, just like ghee. It can keep for many, many months, or a long time. We can go up here to see the cows if you like. Right now, they are milking them. PRABHUPADA: So if we go, it will be disturbed? Nityananda: Oh, no. PRABHUPADA: This is one sugarcane each? No. Two, three? Nityananda: Yes, at least three. People here in the country, they have lots of land, and they can grow the sugarcane very easily, but they will rather go to the store to buy the sugar. PRABHUPADA: Because they want to live in the city. That is the... Here if they grow, then they will be engaged here. They cannot go to the city. Brahmananda: They grow cash crops, make money, and then go spend it in the city. Nityananda: The principal livelihood of our neighbors is to grow cows for slaughter. PRABHUPADA: Yes. That is all over Western countries. Nityananda: They don't have to work. They simply put some cows in their field, and when the price is high, they sell them. In this way they live. Brahmananda: What is the attitude of the neighbors to us here? They like us? Nityananda: Pretty friendly. Brahmananda: There's a papaya. PRABHUPADA: They grow nicely here? Nityananda: Er, we're trying. I don't know yet. Devotee (3): Would you like to be fanned, Srila Prabhupada? Harikesa: Just keep the flies away. PRABHUPADA: He is very friendly to the small calves, this child? Nityananda: Yes. That's my boy. PRABHUPADA: Oh. Nityananda: His name is Vimala. Jagadisa: He chases them all over. PRABHUPADA: Just see. That is the difference between animal and man. A child can control so many calves. Krsna was doing that. One stick in the hand of a child can control fifty cows. The child is controller of many cows; a man is controller of many children. In this way, controller, controller, controller, over, over, over... When there is final controller that is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [bs. 5.1]. This is the definition of Krsna: "the final controller." Nityananda: Here is the cows here. We can see them from here. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Nityananda: Inside the barn they are milking two at a time. And upstairs we keep all the hay. Brahmananda: You keep figures on how much each milk per cow every day? Nityananda: You hear it? PRABHUPADA: Yes. Then how the milk will be utilized? Nityananda: We make sweet rice and burfi, we take the cream to make butter and ghee, and all extra milk is made into curd. So it is all used. Thirty gallons a day. PRABHUPADA: One gallon means 6 pounds? Nityananda: Eight and a half. PRABHUPADA: Eight and a half pounds. In Vrindaban, they get 1,000 pounds daily, New Vrindaban. What is that cottage? Nityananda: That what? Devotees: Cottage there. Nityananda: That's a little house for the pump, water pump. PRABHUPADA: This fencing was done before? Nityananda: Before. This farm was once owned by a person who grew racehorses for racing and gambling. PRABHUPADA: Racing is also gambling. Brahmananda: How much did you pay for it? Nityananda: The farm? 170,000. This field here is millet. It's a grass for the cows to eat. They give lots of milk because they eat this grass. Very nutritious. PRABHUPADA: You are not producing for man? Nityananda: Pardon? PRABHUPADA: Any grains for man? Nityananda: No, we're not growing any grains for man right now. We have fruit trees in the yard. Pears, peaches, plums, figs. PRABHUPADA: Some growing? Nityananda: Not very much. They are very young. We just planted them. In a few years, we will get lots of fruit. PRABHUPADA: Here the land is mixed with some stones? No. Nityananda: I think they put this here, this gravel. PRABHUPADA: There is no mango tree here? No. Nityananda: No what? Brahmananda: Mango trees. Nityananda: We have some growing at the house. PRABHUPADA: Vegetables you are growing? Nityananda: Yes. We have a garden across the street. All these big trees are pecan trees. We have twenty. All this land across the road here that is cleared is ours, all the way up to the trees. PRABHUPADA: (reading sign?) "Cow protection and God consciousness. Visitors welcome." That's nice. So, which way we shall go now? Cow protection, they are surprised: "What is this nonsense, cow protection?" Huh? Do they say? "Cow is for eating, and you are protecting?" There are falls?(?) Nityananda: Falls?(?) No. This is our small garden. PRABHUPADA: Fruits and flowers. No, only fruits. What you are doing, flowers? Nityananda: This is okra. PRABHUPADA: Oh, okra. Nityananda: And sweet potatoes. And we have eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers here. PRABHUPADA: They give daily some fruits? Nityananda: Yes. And then we grow potatoes too. PRABHUPADA: Oh, where? Which side? Nityananda: Well, the spring crop was already harvested. We have to plant the fall potatoes in a few weeks. We'll put them over there by the fence. PRABHUPADA: So it is nice farm. This is squash? Nityananda: That's a cantaloupe plant. PRABHUPADA: Oh, cantaloupe. You can grow cantaloupe here? Nityananda: Yes. PRABHUPADA: And also watermelon? Nityananda: Yes. Jagadisa: There is one big watermelon on the vine up there. Perhaps it's ready to eat. PRABHUPADA: We are getting similar land, 600 acres, in Hyderabad. Nityananda: We can go this way, here. This is all our machinery here. PRABHUPADA: Hm. So already some machine idle. You had to spend so much, but they are lying idle. That is not good. That is the defect of machine. If you cannot ply it, then it is dead loss. Brahmananda: If you cannot what? PRABHUPADA: It is dead loss if you cannot work with the machine. Brahmananda: Yes, yes. PRABHUPADA: But when you go to purchase, you have to pay lots of money. Now they will be rusty with water and gradually useless. How much money you have invested? Nityananda: Thousands. PRABHUPADA: Just see. This is the defect of machine. If you cannot utilize it, then it is dead loss. Brahmananda: Where are the tractors kept? Nityananda: One's at the house, and one's in the field. PRABHUPADA: So they have to be utilized or rejected, these machines? Nityananda: Yes, they all have a purpose. We use them from time to time. PRABHUPADA: But now they are kept open and the... Nityananda: Well, we are building a shed to keep them out of the rain. PRABHUPADA: In the meantime it will be finished. By the time, you finish your shed, it is finished. Sastre sastre dal phariyaga.(?) "Some women were dressing to go to a fair, and when they were dressed, the fair was finished." (laughter) Utilize them. Otherwise, while they are in working order, sell them. Don't keep in that way, neglected way. Either utilize it or sell it at any cost. Otherwise, they are useless. Devotee (4): Srila Prabhupada? A materialist or someone who wouldn't know, he may say that when the bull is not plowing, all he is doing is eating. You have to pay money to feed him grain or to grow grain to feed the bull. PRABHUPADA: They will grow, and they will eat. Rather, they will help you for your eating. The father also eats, but he maintains the family. Therefore, the bull is considered as father and the cow as mother. Mother gives milk, and the bull grows food grains for man. Therefore, Caitanya Mahaprabhu first challenged that Kazi that "What is your religion, that you eat your father and mother?" Both the bulls and the cows are important because the bull will produce food grain and the cow will give supply milk. They should be utilized properly. That is human intelligence. This is filling up with paddy or...? No? Nityananda: With food for the cows. This one has forage or fodder, and that one has grain. PRABHUPADA: So everything is for the animals. Nothing for the man? Nityananda: The cows give us milk. PRABHUPADA: That's all? And you are not growing any food grains? Why? Nityananda: Er... We've been trying to establish self-sufficient cow protection program first, to grow our own food for the cows. Brahmananda: There is no land available for growing rice or wheat? Nityananda: Yes, but the number of devotees we have to do it... Brahmananda: But you have so many machines. PRABHUPADA: All these machines require oiling and keeping nicely. Otherwise, it will spoil. Devotees in distance: All glories to Srila Prabhupada! PRABHUPADA: Jaya. Hare Krsna. They are starting? Brahmananda: They are starting back. Nityananda: Down the road we have fifteen acres of sorghum, grain for the cows. PRABHUPADA: And everything for the cows, but what for the man? They will give everything for cows because they will eat cows, other farmers. But you utilize the animals for growing your food. Brahmananda: The idea is we should maintain the animals, but then the animals should provide foodstuffs for the men. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Brahmananda: And that way there is cooperation. PRABHUPADA: Yes. The animals, bulls, should have helped in spite of that... instead of that machine. Then it is properly utilized. And others, they cannot utilize these animals. Therefore, what they will do? Naturally, they will send to slaughterhouse. But we are not going to send to the slaughterhouse. Then what we will do? They must be utilized. Otherwise simply for growing food that the cows and bulls we engage ourself? You are already feeling burden because there are so many bull calves. You were asking me, "What we shall do with so many bulls?" Nityananda: Well, when they grow up we will train them as oxen. PRABHUPADA: No, what the oxen will do? Nityananda: Plow the fields. PRABHUPADA: Yes. That is wanted. Transport, plowing fields. That is wanted. And unless our men are trained up, Krsna conscious, they will think, "What is the use of taking care of the plows (cows)? Better go to the city, earn money and eat them." Which one? Huh? That? We shall get on? Brahmananda: Yes. (end)

For householders owning a house and land is dharma. For a peaceful life ,cows and grains and maybe a little ghee.

JAGANNATHA MISRA'S FESTIVAL Nilambara Chakravarti said: "This baby has all the symptoms of Lord Narayana on His palms and soles. He will be able to deliver all the three worlds. This child will preach the Vaisnava cult and deliver both His maternal and paternal families. I propose to perform a name-giving ceremony. We should observe a festival and call for the brahmanas because today is very auspicious." After hearing Nilambara Chakravarti's prediction, Sachimata and Jagannatha Misra observed the name-giving festival in great joy, inviting all the brahmanas and their wives. It is the Vedic system to observe all kinds of festivals, including birthday festivals, marriage festivals, name-giving festivals and festivals marking the beginning of education, by especially inviting brahmanas. In every festival the brahmanas are to be fed first, and when the brahmanas are pleased they bless the festival by chanting Vedic mantras or the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is a Vedic principle to observe a festival in connection with Narayana and brahmanas. Giving a child a particular name is among the purificatory processes known as dasa-vidha-samskara, and on the day of such a ceremony one should observe a festival by worshiping Narayana and distributing prasad, chiefly among the brahmanas. When Nilambara Chakravarti, Sachimata and Jagannatha Misra understood from the marks on the Lord's lotus feet that the child Nimai was not an ordinary child but an incarnation of Narayana, they decided that on that very same day, which was very auspicious, they should observe a festival for His name-giving ceremony. In this connection we can particularly see how an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is ascertained by His bodily symptoms, His activities and the prediction of the shastras. By factual evidence a person can be accepted as an incarnation of God, not whimsically or by the votes of rascals and fools. There have been many imitation incarnations in Bengal since the appearance of Lord Caitanya, but any impartial devotee or learned man can understand that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was accepted as an incarnation of Krsna not on the basis of popular votes but by evidence from the shastras and bona fide scholars. It was not ordinary men who accepted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the beginning His identity was ascertained by learned scholars like Nilambara Chakravarti, and later all His activities were confirmed by the six Goswamis, especially Srila Jiva Goswami and Srila Rupa Goswami, and many other learned scholars, with evidence from the shastra. An incarnation of God is such from the very beginning of His life. It is not that by performing meditation one can become an incarnation of God all of a sudden. Such false incarnations are meant for fools and rascals, not sane men. (CC Adi-lila 14.16-20) Just worship Sri Gaurahari, who is always affectionate towards His devotees. He is Krsna Himself, that same Supreme Person who stole the hearts of Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura) Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Gaura Purnima means "Golden Full Moon", signifying that Lord Caitanya took birth at the time of the full moonrise and also that the Lord, being extremely merciful, would benedict everyone with the soothing moonlike rays of His sublime teachings. His followers spend this festival fasting and chanting congregationally, then at moonrise a sumptuous feast is enjoyed by all. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

1.Accepting a spiritual master 2.Acceping a wife(husband) /images/graemlins/confused.gif no.1 is most important.your as a soul depends on it. no.2 can make life very difficult for some time!Ideally the husband and wife should have the same guru,i.e.they are both under the same authority and instructions of Sri Guru.

Blessings from the Spiritual World "they will think of each other's welfare" This is Vaikunta thinking Selfless, thinking of other's spiritual benefit is included in this endeavor of preaching. Thank you for these wonderful extracts from the Sastra that inspire and elevate to KC. Hari Hari

Srila Prabhupada Coming To The Silver Screen BY EX ORIENTE LUX USA, Mar 5 (VNN) — HRISIKESH - The Motion Picture of Life Times The extra-ordinary life story of Srila Prabhupada disciple Hrisikesa dasa is set for the Silver Screen. The 600 page pre-production Script is completed and Asia's Pacific Film Works (20th Century Fox) has given the green light. The 6th Sense director M. Night Shyamalan is under consideration to direct the movie, which will be filmed on location using local production services in California, London, Nepal, India, Thailand, and Bali. In the movie, tentatively named Hrisikesh, His Divine Grace is a major character. Srila Prabhupada may be played by famous Indian actor, Amrish Puri (who looks very much like Srila Prabhupada). Ben Kingsley may play HDG Srila Bon Maharaj. Josh Hartnett is under consideration to play Hrisikesh. Within two years the movie may be seen on main line cinemas around the globe. Featured in this movie are reincarnation, Krishna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bon Maharaj, Gaudiya Vaishnava Ashram life, Gaudiya siddhanta (mostly question and answer), the subplot of tug-of-war between Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bon Maharaj is also a feature. It is also a Rock 'n' Roll movie about The Misunderstood, it is a fugitive - escape movie, it is a culture shock movie, it is a war movie, and it is a thriller!!! First he gets murdered, then his adventure begins: This movie begins in 1947 with Hrisikesh as an 80 year old sadhu getting shot during partition riots and then reborn in America as Richard Shaw-Brown. It features Hrisikesh as a rock 'n' roll star fugitive meeting devotees in San Francisco (1967) and becoming a disciple of Srila Prabhupada; it also features the philosophy of Lord Chaitanya, and the early days of the Hare Krishna Movement, also featured will be Vrindavan, and Mount Govardhan, and Varshana, and Nandagram, and Jaipur, and Karoli, and Delhi, and Bombay, and swinging 60s London, the extraordinarily great band, The Misunderstood, and it's unfair plight and super music, and exotic Bali; also the VN draft and Boot Camp (with Uncle Sam demonized as the Devil and Vietnam war as hell), state of the art technology will be used to create FX reincarnation scenes that will be a roller-coaster ride for the viewers, Shyamasundar & Mukunda Maharaj are chief characters, as is Srila Krishna Das Babaji; it is also a Katmandu movie, a 1967 Summer of Love hippy movie, and an ANTI-WAR MOVIE! It is a story of East meets West. To read a synopsis click http://www.hrisikesh.net/Synopsis.htm Richard Shaw Brown, who co-wrote the screenplay, will be a consultant in several countries to help with the story boards and other details of costumes, procedures, etc. This is a 1st for Srila Prabhupada himself to be featured in a big budget Hollywood movie. And on the pretext of telling Hrisikesa's story, Lord Krishna's philosophy is revealed. Password holders are welcome to download the entire script as a pdf.file before it goes beyond pre-production and a line producer breaks it up into lighting script, cameras script, sets script, costumes script, above and below the line actors scripts, make up script, locations script, etc. This film should be a BIG boost for Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and help make Srila Prabhupada much more famous. Just as Mel Gibsons's Passion is reviving so much interest in Christ, so hrisikesh can create a global revival of Srila Prabhupada and Gaudiya Siddhanta. For more information visit the official site at http://www.hrisikesh.net

VISVAMBHARA" ONE WHO MAINTAINS THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE Nilambara Chakravarti said: "This baby has all the symptoms of Lord Narayana on His palms and soles. He will be able to deliver all the three worlds. This child will preach the Vaisnava cult and deliver both His maternal and paternal families. In the future this child will protect and maintain all the world. For this reason He is to be called Visvambhara." The Caitanya-bhagavata also confirms that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by His birth, has made the whole world peaceful, as in the past Narayana protected this earth in His incarnation as Varaha. Because of His protecting and maintaining this world in the present Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Visvambhara, which refers to one who feeds the entire world. The movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was present five hundred years ago is again being propagated all over the world, and factually we are seeing its practical results. People are being saved, protected and maintained by this Hare Krsna movement. Thousands of followers, especially Western youths, are taking part in this Hare Krsna movement, and how safe and happy they feel can be understood from the expressions of gratitude in their hundreds and thousands of letters. This is the benefit of Lord Caitanya's movement. If one somehow or other comes in contact with the Hare Krsna movement, without consideration of his being a sudra, vaisya, Jagai, Madhai or even lower, he becomes advanced in spiritual consciousness and immediately develops love of Godhead. We now have actual experience that throughout the entire world this movement is making many such persons lovers of God simply by the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Actually, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared as the spiritual master of the entire world. He does not discriminate between offenders and the innocent. Krsna-prema-pradaya te: He liberally gives love of Godhead to anyone and everyone. He is the complete reservoir of all mercies and good fortune. As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad-gita, the Mahabharata, and the Upanisads, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna Himself, and is worshipable by everyone in this age of disagreement. Everyone can join in His sankirtana movement. No previous qualification is necessary. Just by following His teachings, anyone can become a perfect human being. O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O protector of the surrendered souls, You are now playing the role of Your own devotee, and Your lotus feet are the only object of perpetual meditation for the pure living entities. (Archana-paddhati) Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

The Big Push Push on Mahaprabhu's Movement of Sri Krishna Sankirtana It's not easy in this Iron Age of Kali yuga Move-ment means move Preach,Sing,chant cook it up yare deka tare kaha krsna upadesa And so Mahaprabhu is saying move don't be a slug or wallflower get up and chant Join in the kirtana, Sankirtana Movement Beautifully choreographed and initiated By the Golden Avatara Himself and pushed on by His very own men Many Srila Prabhupadas ,those Pure Devotees Who are Mahaprabhu's angas.

Firm unshakeable faith in Sri Guru's words Why? Because in reality they are Sri Krishna's words Dismiss them and you're dismissing Krishna Himself. Krishna comes as Guru to deliver you So Sri Guru's vani is sacred, the lifeline droped down to the jiva from Krsnaloka. Hold on tight and He'll pull you up. Don't let go!!! krsnadas

A Vaisnava is one who is thinking as follows; In this world, or In any other, In every situation, Hari is the refuge. In pain and loss in sin and in fear, in the obtainment of the object of desire, in anger towards other bhaktas- in the absence of devotion, in conflict with bhaktas- in the powerless state, as well as in the position of power- in every condition remember that Hari is the refuge. (From Srimad Vallabhacarya's WISDOM, PERSEVERANCE AND REFUGE - Viveka-Dhairaya-Ashraya)

THE LIFE OF SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura The object of this little book is to bring the holy life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His precepts to the notice of the educated and religious people. Most of the books treating these subjects have hitherto been printed in the Bengali language. Hence, the life and precepts of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have scarcely passed beyond the boundaries of Bengal. A book has, therefore, been printed in Sanskrit type for circulation all over India. Our educated brethren of Europe and America have taken, of late, to the study of the Sanskrit language, and it is our belief that this booklet will go to heir hands in a very short time. This book contains 104 verses with copious commentaries. It makes a succint mention of all the anecdotes of the life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprahhu as related in the famous book Chaitanya Charitamrita by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. Verses 75 to 86 inclusive will give an outline of the precepts of that great personage, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. With a view to help our English readers in going through the book, we have here summarized in English the contents of the work. His Appearance Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia, just after sunset on the evening of the 23rd Phalguna 1407 Sakabda, corresponding to February 18th, 1486 of the Christian Era. The moon was eclipsed at the time of His birth, and the people of Nadia were then engaged, as usual on such occasions, in bathing in the Bhagirathi (Ganges River) with loud cheers of "haribol. " His father, Jagannath Misra, was a poor Brahman (priest) of the Vedic order, and His mother Sachidevi was a woman of ideal character. Both descended from Brahman families originally residing in Sylhet. Mahaprabhu was a beautiful child, and the ladies of the town came to present Him with gifts. His mother's father, Pandit Nilambar Chakravarti, a renowned astrologer, foretold that the child would be a great personage in time, and he therefore gave Him the name Vishvambhar. The ladies of the neighborhood called Him Gaurahari because of His golden complexion, and His mother called Him Nimai because there was a nim tree near the place where He was born. The boy was very beautiful and everyone loved to see Him every day. As He grew up He became a mischievous and frolicsome lad. After His fifth year He was admitted into a school where He mastered the Bengali language in a very short time. Most of Lord Chaitanya's contemporary biographers have mentioned certain anecdotes regarding him, which are simple records of His early miracles. It is said that when He was an infant in His mother's arms, He wept continually, and when the neighboring ladies and His mother cried "haribol," He would stop. Thus there was a continuation of the utterance of «haribol» in the house, foretelling the future mission of the Lord. It has also been stated that when is mother once gave Him sweetmeats to eat, He ate clay instead of the food. When His mother asked for the reason, He stated that as every sweetmeat was nothing but clay transformed, He could eat clay just as well. His mother, who was also the wife of a scholar, explained that every element in a particular state was adapted to a special use. Earth, while in the state of a jug, could be used as a water pot, but in the state of a brick such a use was not possible. Clay, therefore, in the form of sweetmeats was usable as food and not clay in its other states. The lad was convinced and admitted His foolishness in eating the clay and agreed to avoid the mistake in the future. His Early Pastimes Another miraculous act has been related. It is said that a Brahman on pilgrimage became a guest in the house of Jagannath Misra. The Brahman cooked his food and said his grace while meditating on Krishna. In the meantime the lad came and ate up the cooked rice. The Brahman, astonished at the lad's act, cooked again at the request of Jagannath Misra. The lad again ate up the cooked rice while the Brahman was offering the rice to Krishna by meditation. The Brahman was persuaded to cook for the third time. This time, all the residents of the house had fallen asleep and the lad showed Himself as Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He blessed the traveller. The brahman was then lost in ecstasy at the appearance of the object of his worship. It has also been stated that two thieves stole away the lad from His father's door with a view to purloin His jewels, and they gave Him sweetmeats on the way. The lad exercised His illusory energy however and directed the thieves back towards His own house. The thieves, for fear of detection, left the boy there and fled. Another miraculous act has been described of the lad's demanding and getting from Hiranya and Jagadish all the offerings they had collected for worshiping Krishna on the day of Ekadashi. When only four years of age, He sat on rejected cooking pots which were considered unholy by His mother. He explained to His mother that there was no question of holiness or unholiness regarding earthen pots thrown away after the cooking was over. These anecdotes relate to Lord Chaitanya's tender age up to the fifth year. In His eighth year, He was admitted into the school of Gangadas Pandit in Ganganagar close by the village of Mayapur. In two years, He became well read in Sanskrit grammar and rhetoric. His readings after that were of the nature of personal study in His own house where He had found many important books belonging to His father, who was a scholar himself. It appears that He read the smriti (scriptures) in His own study and the nyaya (logic) also, in competition with His friends, who were then studying under the celebrated pandit Raghunath Shiromani. After His tenth year of age, Nimai became a learned scholar in grammar, rhetoric, the smriti and the nyaya. It was after this that His elder brother Vishvarupa left home and accepted the ashram (status) of a sannyasi (ascetic). Though a very young boy, Nimai consoled His parents saying that He would serve them with a view to please God. Just after that, His father left this world. His mother was exceedingly aggrieved and Lord Chaitanya, with His usual contented demeanor, consoled His widowed mother. His Marriage And Social Life it was at the age of fourteen or fifteen that Mahaprabhu was married to Lakshmipriya, the daughter of Ballabhacharya, also of Nadia. At this time Nimai Pandit was considered one of the best scholars of Nadia, which was the renowned seat of nyaya philosophy and Sanskrit learning. What to speak of the smarta (caste) pandits, the logicians were all afraid of confronting Him in literary discussion. Being a married man, He went to Eastern Bengal by the banks of the Padma for the acquirement of wealth. There He displayed His learning and obtained a good sum of money. It was at this time that He preached Vaishnavism at intervals. After teaching Tapan Mishra the principles of Vaishnavism, He ordered him to go and live in Benares. During His residence in East Bengal, His wife Lakshmipriya left this world from the effects of a snakebite. On returning home, He found His mother in a mourning state. He consoled her by speaking about the uncertainty of human affairs. It was at His mother's request that He married Vishnupriya, the daughter of Raj Pandit Sanatan Mishra. Nimai's comrades joined Him on His return from touring. He was now so renowned that He was considered to be the best pandit in Nadia. Keshava Mishra of Kashmir, who had called himself the Great Digvijai, came to Nadia with a view to debate with the pandits of that place. Afraid of the so-called conquering pandit, the professors of Nadia left their town on pretense of invitation. Keshava Mishra met Nimai at Barokona Ghat in Mayapur, and after a very short discussion he was defeated by the boy, and humiliation obliged him to decamp. Nimai Pandit was now the most important scholar of His time. At the age of sixteen or seventeen, Lord Chaitanya travelled to Gaya with a host of His students and there took His spiritual initiation from Ishvara Puri, a Vaishnava sannyasi and a disciple of the renowned Madhavendra Puri. Upon His return to Nadia, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began vigorous preaching of the Vaishnava principles. His divine nature became so strongly represented that Adwaita Prabhu, Srivasa Pandit, and others who had accepted the Vaishnava faith prior to the birth of Lord Chaitanya, were astonished at the change in the young man. He was no longer simply a contending naiyaika, a wrangling smarta, or a criticizing rhetorician. He swooned upon hearing the name of Krishna and behaved as an inspired man under the influence of His divine sentiment. It has been described by Murari Gupta, an eyewitness, that He showed His divine powers in the house of Srivas Pandit in the presence of hundreds of His followers who were mostly well-read scholars. It was at this time that He opened a nocturnal school of sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names) in the compound of Srivas Pandit with His sincere followers. There He preached, sang, danced, and expressed all sorts of spiritual emotions. Nityananda Prabhu (an incarnation of Balarama, the first expansion of Krishna), who was also a preacher of Vaishnavism and had just completed His travels all over India, joined Him by that time. In fact, a host of pandit preachers of Vaishnavism, all sincere at heart, came and joined Him from different parts of Bengal. Nadia now became the regular seat of a host of Vaishnava acharyas whose mission it was to spiritualize mankind with the highest influence of the Vaishnava creed. Mahaprabhu's Mission The first mandate that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu issued to Nityananda Prabhu and Haridas Thakur was to "Go friends, go through the streets of the town, meet every man at his door, and ask him to sing the name of Hari with devotion, and then come and report to Me every evening the result of your preaching." Thus ordered, the two preachers went on and soon met Jagai and Madhai, two most abominable characters. They insulted the preachers upon hearing Mahaprabhu's mandate, but were soon converted by the influence of bhakti (devotion to Krishna) inculcated by the Lord Himself. The people of Nadia were now surprised. They said, "Nimai Pandit is not only a great genius, but He is certainly a missionary from God Almighty." From this time to His twenty-third year, Mahaprabhu preached His principles not only in Nadia but in all important towns and villages around His city. In the houses of His followers He showed miracles, taught the esoteric principles of bhakti, and sang His sankirtan with other bhaktas (devotees of Krishna). His followers in the town of Nadia commenced to sing the holy name of Hari in the streets and marketplaces. This created a sensation and roused different feelings in different circles. The bhaktas were highly pleased. But the smarta brahmans became jealous of Nimai Pandit's success and complained to Chand Kazi, deprecating the character of Sri Chaitanya as un-Hindu. The Kazi came to Srivasa Pandit's house, broke a mridanga (drum) and declared that unless Mahaprabhu ceased making unorthodox noise about His religion, the Kazi would be obliged to enforce Mohammedanism on Him and His followers. This was brought to Mahaprabhu's notice, at which time He ordered the townspeople to appear that evening, each with a torch in his hand. This they did, and Mahaprabhu marched out with His sankirtan party divided into fourteen groups. Upon His arrival at the Kazi's house, He held a long conversation with him, and in the end communicated into his heart His Vaishnava influence by touching his body. The Kazi then wept and admitted that he had felt a deep spiritual influence which had cleared up his doubts, and produced in him a religious sentiment which gave him the highest ecstasy. The Kazi then joined the sankirtan party. The world was astonished at the spiritual power of the great Lord, and hundreds and hundreds of heretics converted and joined the banner of Mahaprabhu after this affair. It was after this that some of the jealous and lowminded brahmans of Kuliya picked a quarrel with Mahaprabhu and collected a party to oppose Him. Taking Sannyasa Mahaprabhu was naturally a softhearted person, though strong in His principles. He declared that party spirit and sectarianism were the two great enemies of progress, and as long as He continued to be an inhabitant of Nadia belonging to a certain family, His mission would not meet with complete success. He then resolved to become a citizen of the world by cutting off His connection with a particular family, and with this resolution, He took sannyasa at Katwa under the guidance of Keshava Bharati of that town, in His twenty-fourth year. His mother and wife wept bitterly for His separation, but though soft in heart, Mahaprabhu was a strong person in principle. He left home to give the unlimited spiritual world of Krishna to man in general. After His sannyasa, He was induced to visit the house of Adwaita Prabhu in Shantipur. Sri Adwaita managed to invite all His friends and admirers from Nadia and brought Sachidevi to see her son. Both pleasure and pain invaded her heart when she saw her son in the attire of a sannyasi. As a sannyasi, Lord Chaitanya wore nothing but a kaupin (loin cloth), and a bahirbas (outer covering). His head was without hair, and His hands bore a danda (staff) and a kamandalu (ascetic's water pot). The holy son fell at the feet of His beloved mother and said, "Mother! This body is yours, and I must obey your orders. Permit Me to go to Vrindavan for My spiritual attainments." Mother Sachi, in consultation with Adwaita Prabhu and others, asked her son to reside in Jagannatha Puri, so that she might obtain information about Him now and then. Mahaprabhu agreed to that proposition, and in a few days He left Shantipur for Orissa. His biographers have described the journey of Sri Krishna Chaitanya (the name He received after taking sannyasa) from Shantipur to Puri in great detail. He travelled along the side of the Bhagirathi as far as Chattrabhog, situated now in Thana Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas. There He took a boat and went as far as Prayag Ghat in the Midnapur District. Then He walked through Balasore and Cuttack to Puri, seeing the temple of Bhubaneswar on His way. Revealing The Ultimate Truth Upon His arrival at Puri, He saw Lord Jagannatha in the temple and visited Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya at his request. Sarvabhauma was a great pandit of the day. His readings knew no bounds. He was the best naiyaika (logician) of his time, and was known as the most erudite scholar in the Vedanta philosophy of the school of Shankaracharya. He was born in Nadia (Vidyanagar) and taught innumerable pupils the nyaya philosophy in his school there. He had gone to reside in Puri some time before the birth of Nimai Pandit. His brother-in-law, Gopinath Misra, introduced the new sannyasi to Sarvabhauma, who was astonished at His personal beauty, and feared that it would be difficult for the young man to maintain His sannyasa vows for the duration of His life. Gopinath, who had known Mahaprabhu from Nadia, had great reverence for Him, and stated that the sannyasi was not a common human being. On this point Gopinath and Sarvabhauma had a heated discussion. Sarvabhauma then requested Mahaprabhu to hear his recitation of the Vedanta Sutras, to which He tacitly submitted. Lord Chaitanya heard with silence what the great Sarvabhauma gravely spoke for seven days, at the end of which the Bhattacharya said, "Krishna Chaitanya! I think You do not understand the Vedanta, as You have not said anything after hearing my recitation and explanations." The reply of Lord Chaitanya was that He understood the sutras very well, but He could not make out what Shankaracharya meant by his commentaries. Astonished at this, Sarvabhauma said, "How is it that You understand the meanings of the sutras, yet You do not understand the commentaries which explain the sutras? Very well; if You understand the sutras, please let me have Your interpretations." Mahaprabhu thereon explained all the sutras His own way, without touching the pantheistic commentary of Shankara. With His keen understanding, Sarvabhauma saw the truth, beauty, and harmony of the explanations given by Lord Chaitanya, and he was obliged to admit that it was the first time he had found anyone who could explain the Brahma Sutras in such a simple manner. He admitted also that he felt the commentaries of Shankara never gave such natural explanations of the Vedanta Sutras as he had obtained from Mahaprabhu. He then submitted himself as Mahaprabhu's advocate and follower. In a few days, Sarvabhauma became one of the best Vaishnavas of the time. When news of this spread, all of Orissa sang the praise of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, and hundreds and hundreds of people came to Him and became His followers. Some time later, Mahaprabhu visited Southern India, accompanied on His journey by one brahman named Krishna Das. His biographers have given us the details of the journey. He first went to Kurmakshetra, where He performed a miracle by curing a leper named Vasudeva. From there, He met with Ramananda Rai, the governor of Vidyanagar, on the banks of the Godavari, and had a philosophical conversation with him on the subject of prema bhakti. He performed another miracle by touching the seven Tal trees and making them immediately disappear. It was through these trees that Lord Sri Ramachandra had shot His arrow and killed the great king Vali. Mahaprabhu preached Vaishnavism and nama sankirtan throughout the entire journey. At Rangakshetra, He stayed for four months in the house of Vyenkata Bhatta during the rainy season. There He converted the whole family of Vyenkata from Ramanuja Vaishnavas into Krishna bhaktas, along with the son of Vyenkata, a boy of ten years named Gopal, who afterwards came to Vrindavan and became one of the six Goswamis or prophets serving under their leader Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Trained up in Sanskrit by his uncle Prabodhananda Saraswati, Gopal Bhatta wrote several books on Vaishnavism. Lord Chaitanya visited numerous places in South India as far as Cape Comorin, and returned to Puri in two years by Panderpur on the Bhima. In this latter place He spiritualized Tukaram, who from that time became a religious preacher himself (This fact has been admitted in the abhangas of Tukaram which have been collected in a volume by Mr. Satyendra Nath Tagore of the Bombay Civil Service). Also along His journey He had discussions with Buddhists, Jains, and Mayavadis in several places, and converted His opponents to Vaishnavism. Upon His return to Puri, King Prataparudra and several pandit brahmans joined under the banner of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His Topmost Assistants In His twenty-eighth year, Mahaprabhu went to Bengal as far as Gauda in Maldah. There He picked up two great persons named Rupa and Sanatana. Though descended from the lineage of the Karnatic brahmans, these two brothers were considered Muslims due to their continual association with Hussain Shah, the emperor of Gauda. Their names had been changed by the emperor into Dabir Khas and Sakar Mallik, and their master loved them dearly as they were both learned in Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit, and were loyal servants of the state. The two gentlemen had found no way to return to Hinduism and had written to Mahaprabhu for spiritual help while He was at Puri. Mahaprabhu had written in reply that He would come to them and extricate them from their spiritual difficulties. Now that He had come to Gauda, both the brothers appeared before Him with their long-standing prayer. Mahaprabhu ordered them to go to Vrindavan and meet Him there. Lord Chaitanya returned to Puri through Shantipur where He again met His dear mother. After a short stay at Puri, He left for Vrindavan. This time He was accompanied by one devotee named Balabhadra Bhattacharya. He visited Vrindavan and came down to Prayag (Allahabad), converting a large number of Mohammedans into Vaishnavas by presenting arguments from the Koran. The descendants of those converts are still known as Pathan Vaishnavas. At Allahabad, Rupa Goswami met with Lord Chaitanya, who trained him up in spirituality in ten days and directed him to go to Vrindavan on missions. His first mission was to write theological works explaining scientifically pure bhakti and prema. The second mission was to revive the places where Sri Krishnachandra had, at the end of Dvapara-yuga, exhibited His spiritual lila (pastimes) for the benefit of the world. After Rupa Goswami left Allahabad for Vrindavan, Mahaprabhu went to Benares. There He stayed at the house of Chandrashekar and accepted His daily bhiksha (alms) in the house of Tapan Misra. It was here that Sanatan Goswami joined Him and took instruction in spiritual matters for two months. The biographers, especially Krishnadas Kaviraj, have given us the details of Lord Chaitanya's teachings to Rupa and Sanatan. Krishnadas Kaviraja was not a contemporary writer, but he gathered his information from the Goswamis themselves, who were the direct disciples of Mahaprabhu. Jiva Goswami, who was the nephew of Sanatan and Rupa, and who has left us his invaluable work the Sat-sandarbha, has philosophized on the precepts of his great leader. We have gathered and summarized the precepts of Sri Chaitanya from the books of those great writers. While at Benares, Lord Chaitanya had an interview with the learned sannyasis of that town in the house of a Maharastrian brahman who had invited all the sannyasis for a discussion. At this interview, Mahaprabhu exhibited His spiritual effulgence, which attracted all the sannyasis to Him. Then a reciprocal conversation ensued. The sannyasis were headed by their most learned leader, Prakashananda Saraswati. After a short controversy, they submitted to Lord Chaitanya and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Shankaracharya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Lord Chaitanya, as there was something special in Him which touched their hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement. The sannyasis of Benares soon fell at the feet of Lord Chaitanya and asked for His kripa (mercy). Lord Chaitanya then preached pure bhakti and instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Krishna, which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. On this wonderful conversion of the sannyasis, the whole of Benares became Vaishnavas, and they all performed sankirtan with their new Lord. After sending Sanatan to Vrindavan, Mahaprabhu again went to Puri, travelling through the jungle with His comrade Balabhadra. Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had exhibited many miracles on His way to Puri, such as making tigers and elephants dance upon hearing the name of Krishna. From His thirty-first year, Mahaprabhu continually lived in Puri at the house of Kasi Misra, until His disappearance in His forty-eighth year at the time of sankirtan in the temple of Tota Gopinath. During these eighteen years, His life was one of settled love and devotion. He was surrounded by numerous followers, all of whom were of the highest order of Vaishnavas, distinguished from the common people by their character and learning, firm religious principles, and spiritual love for Radha and Krishna. Svarupa Damodar, who had been known by the name of Purushottamacharya while Mahaprabhu was in Nadia, joined Him from Benares and engaged in His service as His secretary. No production of any poet or philosopher could be laid before Mahaprabhu unless Svarupa Damodar had acknowledged it as pure and useful. Ramananda Rai was the second of His most intimate confidants. Both he and Svarupa Damodar sang while Mahaprabhu expressed His sentiments on a certain point of worship. Paramananda Puri was His minister of religion. Mahaprabhu slept little. His sentiments carried Him further and further into the firmament of spirituality every day and night, and all His admirers and followers observed Him throughout. He worshipped, communicated with His missionaries at Vrindavan, and conversed with those religious men who had newly come to visit Him. He sang and danced, taking no care of Himself, and often lost Himself in religious beatitude. All who came to Him saw Him as the all-beautiful God appearing in the material world for the benefit of mankind. He lovingly remembered His mother all along, and sent her mahaprasad (food offered to the Lord) now and then with those who went to Nadia. Since He was most amiable in nature, humility was personified in Him, and His sweet appearance brought joy to all who came in contact with Him. Lord Chaitanya appointed Nityananda Prabhu as the missionary in charge of Bengal. He dispatched six disciples (the Goswamis) to Vrindavan to preach in the upcountry. He punished all of His disciples who deviated from a holy life. This He markedly did in the case of Chota (junior) Haridas. He never failed to give proper instructions in life to those who solicited them. This was seen in His teachings to Raghunath Das Goswami. His treatment of Haridas (senior) showed how He loved godly men and how He defied caste distinction in the face of spiritual brotherhood. (This edition of Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura's text is taken from the Gaudiya Press 1987 edition. It has been carefully edited by Sripad Giri Maharaj of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math so as to modernise the language.)

Dear gHari Prabhu, Thank you so much for seeing the movie Now ,I know that there is no need for me to see it as you have described the real Saviours who save with love and not blood. krsnadas

It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that, we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe, we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eter-nal purposes. It would be better to search for a place where we can find real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these dis-turbances, providence wants to teach us that this world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled, we would naturally like to go back to the original place. Life in this world should be conducted peacefully instead of in a spirit of re-taliation. We should learn to suffer all these things by submitting to His holy wishes. If we do so, we may have that very peace here. It is because we are ambitious to dominate that we are brought here. Conditions here are so that they dovetail the whole position. If we require more than we are allowed, we are in trouble. Better if we go back to our own position, to our only friend. He is the only resort of all our needs and desires. If we take the burden upon ourselves to run into wrong, we run into troubles in the shape of our daily transactions. We should not be so tempted. The aesthetic culturer’s offers are meant to delude us when they lead us to think this world to be a comfortable place. All real improve-ment should lead to Godhead. It should give us all useful things by which to get rid of these temp-tations. As we are men, we should lend our ears to know about the better situation of the tran-scendental world, where the best aspects of the reality are exhibited. Here we suffer from the dif-ficulties of our eclipsed vision. It is, therefore, better to look after that region where all sorts of manifestive nature are in vogue. -------------------------- My God, it's all there.(the Transcendental necessities) but can I digest these words from the holy lips of Sri Guru? /images/graemlins/confused.gif My fire of digestion is very low. He knows us very well, our conditioned nature,our disease and as expert spiritual doctor he can give the right medicine: " As we are men, we should lend our ears to know about the better situation of the tran-scendental world, where the best aspects of the reality are exhibited ."

THE CORRECT ANGLE OF VISION Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasawati Thakur Prabhupada Question: I cannot understand this world. Answer: It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that, we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe, we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eter-nal purposes. It would be better to search for a place where we can find real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these dis-turbances, providence wants to teach us that this world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled, we would naturally like to go back to the original place. Life in this world should be conducted peacefully instead of in a spirit of re-taliation. We should learn to suffer all these things by submitting to His holy wishes. If we do so, we may have that very peace here. It is because we are ambitious to dominate that we are brought here. Conditions here are so that they dovetail the whole position. If we require more than we are allowed, we are in trouble. Better if we go back to our own position, to our only friend. He is the only resort of all our needs and desires. If we take the burden upon ourselves to run into wrong, we run into troubles in the shape of our daily transactions. We should not be so tempted. The aesthetic culturer’s offers are meant to delude us when they lead us to think this world to be a comfortable place. All real improve-ment should lead to Godhead. It should give us all useful things by which to get rid of these temp-tations. As we are men, we should lend our ears to know about the better situation of the tran-scendental world, where the best aspects of the reality are exhibited. Here we suffer from the dif-ficulties of our eclipsed vision. It is, therefore, better to look after that region where all sorts of manifestive nature are in vogue. The servitors of Godhead will always look to our interest. In this world, our friends some-times like us and sometimes they turn against us. But here there is opportunity of hearing about our original home from the lips of per-sons who are quite familiar with the same. If we neglect the opportunity, we shall repent in the long run. Their words will lift us and change our mentality. All sorts of puzzling questions will be solved if only we give our lending ear to those persons who have very little to do with this world. Our situations in this world are li-able to change like fogs and mists. As intelli-gent men, our prudent nature should manage sometimes to hear of the transcendental world and the manifestive nature, instead of being unaccountably diffident. Such incredulous at-titude will not give us the opportunity. This external body will be changed, and also our present situations. But we have a transcendental frame. As soon as we will learn that the transcendental frame is working in us, this mortal coil will cease to trouble. The people of the West think that the mind is the soul. We differ from them. There exists an ample Indian literature in support of the view that the soul is the proprietor of the mind. The mind is the proxy of the soul to deal with the external world in five different relations as husband and spouse, master and servant, parent and child, as friend and as neutral. The soul is now en-wrapped by some foreign agency. Body is dif-ferent from apparel. The soul is enwrapped by the gross and subtle material bodies. They are meant for the use of the soul for a certain pe-riod. When the true activity remains latent then the mind acts with the impetus of the senses alone, covering the soul by the material molecu-lar substances. But the soul is the real entity. The senses are the working things, some of them for external and some for internal use. Grossness has an attraction for the ordinary run of people. It is meant for such people. Even the so-called philosophers are found to to the slogan that the gross material body should have the preference in all religious affairs of this world ). They are very busy with the gross and subtle material things, ignoring the health of the soul. Material things will change. This change some-times gives us facilities and sometimes hinders our progress. But the soul does not change and cannot be destroyed, although he is susceptible to being covered by the subtle or abstract form of material grossness in the shape of our pass-ing mentality which is a gift of maya.She has given us senses to measure pleasing things for our selfish aggrandizement. Religious people think they need not gratify the senses, which are meant to delude only. As, for instance, we are liable to be deluded if we assume the air of the atmosphere is meant for our enjoyment or for giving us temporary pleasures. We are liable to be troubled by these imped-ing agents. Their number will show us that they are more numerous than the things that can give us bliss, the only thing that should be sought. The ecstatic center is in Godhead. All of the pleasing sensations of this world, if prop-erly judged, are found to be for temporal pur-poses only, in order to have our fruits later on. It is the training plane. On this plane we are liable to suppose that everything is meant to serve us. But the real truth is that we are to serve Godhead in the five different capacities. It is only when we deem it fit to come down to this world to lord it over other finite entities for our enjoyment that our real position is for-gotten to some extent. This contingency arises when we want to deprive our Lord. That ten-dency was innate with us. It led us to prefer this temporal region by our own desire. These entanglements will be slowly removed when the true suggestions will come to us on our meeting with persons who are cognizant of our interest. So-called “optimistic” people want to avoid such apparently pessimistic thoughts. They prefer to run into the troubles. But we should have our only resort in the absolute. Aural reception is the only track that we should fol-low. We should be prepared to hear how we can live a peaceful life and aspire after eter-nal bliss from the absolute who can give it. Unless we submit to Him, there is no possi-bility of getting to the eternal region. If we do otherwise, we will be multiplying speculations that will only act as hindrances to us. Instead of posing as the predominating agent, we should pose as predominated agents in order to serve Godhead. He is the source of all manifestive things; and all activities should tend to Him without hoping for any commer-cial return. We are Philistines averse to theo-logical thought. We are for making money, earning fame and enjoying pleasures. This is the natural inclination here. All this non-ab-solute propaganda is due to aversion to the service of the absolute. We should, therefore, lend our ear to the descriptions of transcen-dence in order to be able to understand how to get the true fruit of the soul instead of be-ing misled by the mind. The mind is the proxy of the soul. He is always on the look-out for aggrandizing his own interest at the expense of the principal if the latter thinks to pass his days in indolence, when he will be naturally deluded by the mind. The slumbering soul re-quires to be roused up. The best use of our intelligence, foresight, desirability, should be to make progress towards the eternal life. Temporal pleasures are bound to trouble us in the long run. — Conversation with Major Rana N. J. Bahadur at Armadale, Darjeeling, on 14 June 1935. Originally published in The Harmonist (Vol. XXXI, No.21) on 27 June 1935.

"GAURASUNDARA" Whose Complexion is a Beautiful Golden Hue Gopinatha Acharya continued [to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya]: "You have seen the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during His absorption in an ecstatic mood. Despite directly perceiving the symptoms of the Supreme Lord in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you cannot understand Him. This is commonly called illusion. A person influenced by the external energy is called bahirmukha jana, a mundane person, because despite his perception, he cannot understand the real substance." Hearing Gopinatha Acharya say this, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya smiled and began to speak as follows. "We are just having a discussion among friends and considering the points described in the scriptures. Do not become angry. I am simply speaking on the strength of the shastras. Please don't take any offense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is certainly a great, uncommon devotee, but we cannot accept Him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu because, according to shastra, there is no incarnation in this Age of Kali." Upon hearing this, Gopinatha Acharya became very unhappy. He said to the Bhattacharya, "You consider yourself the knower of all Vedic scriptures. Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata are the two most important Vedic scriptures, but you have paid no attention to their statements. In Srimad-Bhagavatam and Mahabharata it is stated that the Lord appears directly, but you say that in this age there is no manifestation or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There is certainly an incarnation in every age, and such an incarnation is called the yuga-avatara. But your heart has become so hardened by logic and argument that you cannot consider all these facts. 'In the past, your son has had bodies of three different colors, according to the age. These colors were white, red and yellow. In this age [Dvapara-yuga] He has accepted a blackish body.' (spoken by Garga Muni) 'In the Age of Kali, as well as in Dvapara-yuga, the people offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by various mantras and observe the regulative principles of the supplementary Vedic literature. Now please hear of this from me. 'In this Age of Kali, those who are intelligent perform the congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears in this age always describing the glories of Krsna. That incarnation is yellowish in hue and is always associated with His plenary expansions [such as Sri Nityananda Prabhu] and personal expansions [such as Gadadhara], as well as His devotees and associates [such as Svarupa Damodara].' (CC Madya-lila 3.177-187, SB 11.5.31). The Lord [in the incarnation of Gaurasundara] has a golden complexion. Indeed, His entire body, which is very nicely constituted, is like molten gold. Sandalwood pulp is smeared all over His body. He will take the fourth order of spiritual life [sannyasa] and will be very self-controlled. He will be distinguished from Mayavadi sannyasis in that He will be fixed in devotional service and will spread the sankirtana movement. ( Mahabharata's Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotra.) Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Death on Bombay's lifeline By Jayshree Bajoria BBC correspondent in Bombay The rail network that serves India's commercial capital, Bombay, and its suburbs is its lifeline, carrying six million people every day. Stepping into danger But every year, more than 3,500 commuters are killed using it - an average of 10 deaths a day. Most are killed trying to cross tracks instead of using the bridges. Many are simply trying to save time, but the railway authorities are not spared blame. "The railways make last minute announcements changing the platform on which the train will pull in," says one commuter. "If we don't cross the tracks to reach the platform, we will miss the train." A second commuter adds: "Some stations don't have bridges in good condition. And most bridges are so crowded with vendors and beggars that walking through them is very difficult." Safety steps To help victims, a railway accident response helpline has been set up. I kept shouting out to people standing on the platform... They all kept staring but didn't come to my help Mahendra Sonawane, injured passenger The hotline, called Manavta (humanity), is run by a non-government organisation and runs 24 hours a day in co-ordination with railway authorities, police and the local governing bodies. It has taken a number of practical steps, including providing more stretchers, improving the ambulance services for train stations, and providing volunteers to care for accident victims. Manavta's chief coordinator, Bhawesh Patel, says it has been alerting the authorities to the causes of accidents. "Some stations are beginning to erect fences on the tracks preventing commuters from crossing them," says Mr Patel. "Also, several people die or get injured from falling into the gap between the platform and train while trying to board or get off. To prevent this, most platforms are being raised to reduce the gap. "Poles on tracks, another danger to commuters hanging from doors and windows, are also being removed.'' Traveller apathy While track safety is improved, conditions inside the carriages also need addressing. A nine-coach train meant to carry 1,500 passengers can have during rush hour more than 4,000. I don't like travelling alone. I prefer being in a group where there are other commuters Elizabeth Rosario, woman passenger Overcrowding creates a perfect environment for pick-pocketing and heated rows. In one incident earlier this year, a man was pushed off a moving train by fellow passengers after an argument over standing space. In another, a video cameraman captured scenes of apathy among fellow travellers after a train knocked down a man. Last year, Mahendra Sonawane lost his left leg when he slipped from an overcrowded train on to the tracks. The 27-year-old lay there for 15 minutes before police arrived to lift him up and take him to hospital. "I kept shouting out to people standing on the platform. I pleaded with them to lift me up and put me on the platform but no one listened," Mr Sonawane told BBC News Online. "They all kept staring but didn't come to my help." Acid attack Serious crimes have also been recorded on the network. Removing poles is one step being taken to prevent accidents Eighteen months ago an underage girl was raped inside a rail compartment by a drunk while six passengers failed to act. Youths have thrown stones at trains from shanty towns close to the tracks. In January a man threw acid at three women inside a train. Many women feel unsafe on the trains. Students Puja Vardhan and Komal Jain say they always stay in a group. They would never use the compartments reserved for women at night. They wouldn't feel safe in them as the compartments are often nearly empty. They are supposed to have a police guard at night. The guard's often not there. And even if he were, many women don't trust the police. As fellow traveller Elizabeth Rosario puts it: "I don't like travelling alone. I prefer being in a group where there are other commuters.'' Scared of helping One reason for the apathy for fellow passengers is the attitude of the police. Mr Sonawane's sister says: "People did not come to help Mahendra because no one wants to get involved. Police ask a hundred questions and so everyone is scared to volunteer help.'' Manavta says its volunteers are helping to change this by providing help to victims until the next of kin arrives. It says its helpline will soon be on display inside every coach on every train. But one is forced to wonder whether it will be used by citizens who often prefer to look the other way or sidestep a man lying in a pool of blood.